


White Blood

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Y-G-October 2018 [13]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cannibalism, Aliens, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Dubious Morality, Light Angst, M/M, Monsters, Morality, Polyamory, Secrets, Symbiote - Freeform, Yami Yuugi | Atem has his own body, alternate universe- spiderman, mentions of eating people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 20:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16291385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: "So you ate some people, you're a symbiote, it's not your fault, they were bad people weren't they? I think Yugi said you caught them trying to rape some poor girl?"Atem's lip trembled, he looked nothing short ofagonized, but he didn't respond at first, merely looked down"I am not supposed to eat people.... Yugi says it's bad, I don't want to be bad, I want to begood, I want to begoodlike he is... like you are..."Day 13 of Y-G-October 2018





	White Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Finaiarel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finaiarel/gifts).



> Day 13 of this challenge http://horrificmemes.tumblr.com/post/177941943723/its-that-tiiiime-just-like-last-fall-im-giving "Warning"
> 
> I got so inspired by this title when I saw it http://beware-of-starlight.tumblr.com/post/178989048103/sixth-night-of-blogoween-loving-the-monsters and it made me think all _sorts_ of things, ultimately I went with a Venom AU of sorts, because I really love Venom, and I thought about what exactly defines a "monster", is it enough to be supernatural? To be different? Do you have to look scary? Or is it more about what you do rather than what you are? If that's the case, what about someone who's acting like a monster, even though they look like a human?
> 
> The title is from an Oh Wonder song of the same name

What a mess

What an absolute, utter mess....

"Oh, Seto, it's good to see you,"

A curt nod, perhaps more curt than he expressly meant it to be, eyes averted towards the stairs before flickering back down to the smaller man in front of him

"Where is he?"

Yugi's face seemed to fall a little, shoulders sinking as he too glanced at the stairs

"Bedroom, he's... not doing very well, tread carefully,"

Seto only snorted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes

"You don't know me at all, do you?" he teased flatly, leaning down to give his smaller companion a soft kiss before stepping away from him and taking a step closer to the stairs

"I know you enough to know that you can fix this," Yugi replied quietly, adjusting his backpack over his shoulder as he placed a hand on the door

"I'm going out on patrol, let me know if you two need anything,"

"Same to you, and for the love of god, _be carefull_ ,"

Yugi only nodded stiffly, taking another step out of the house before pausing at the sound of his boyfreind's voice

"Wait, I almost forgot,"

The smaller man turned, head tilting curiously as Seto pulled a small package out of his coat pocket

"Your new web-slingers, I upgraded them to digital, they're voice activated now so all you have to do is aim and call out what kind of webbing you want, there's a command list with them too,"

"O-Oh, thank you, that's ... this is going to help alot, thanks,"

Just for that, he leaned up and gave Seto a kiss on the cheek, a thin, tired smile on his face as he gave the other's hand a squeeze

"Tell Atem that I want to see him on patrol when you're done with him, it ... it worries me, him being so cooped up like this, but he needs to get things right with you first,"

"Stop worrying about us, just go, all you need to worry about right now is watching your back,"

Yugi gave a small nod, apparently finally taking the advice and stepping fully out of the house, shutting the door behind him

With a deep inhale, Seto made his way up the stairs, turning silently down the hall and into the main bedroom

It was so cramped in here though....

Really, he was going to _have_ to get these two moved in with him sooner rather than later

Ah, and there was the man in question, sitting in the corner of the bed with his face burried in his arms, his legs pulled up to his chest, trying to make himself small....

"Go away Seto," he muttered out quietly

"Bite me Atem," the scientist snarked back, moving to sit in the center of the bed

If Atem wanted him to move, or wanted to move himself, then he was just going to have to talk to him first

"Why.... do you insist on this? I told Yugi that I could not go through this anymore, that yo-"

"Yugi isn't the boss of me and you aren't the boss of him, if you have a problem with me you're going to address it face to face like a human being,"

Atem shut his mouth, looking away

Ok.... poor choice of words there

"That's just it, that's the problem, I am not a human being Seto, I am a monster, and you should never love a monster, loving the monster always ends badly for the human,"

Part of Seto found that entire statement ridiculous, he wanted to roll his eyes and scoff, there were too many flaws in that sentence and he wanted to correct each and every one of them

...

The other part of Seto perfectly understood where Atem was coming from, and not only sympathized with him, but in some ways, agreed with him

When did loving a monster ever end well for their human counterpart?

"First of all, you aren't a monster, second of all, you don't seem to have a problem with Yugi loving you,"

Atem glanced up slowly, a glint in his red eyes as he slowly slid off of the bed and stood before the larger man

"Really?" he asked softly, arms hugging around his chest as he began to shapeshift, transforming into an _enormous_ creature made of thick, black, tar, mostly human shaped, but easily towering twice as tall as the human on the bed, his face distorted, large white eyes, and a massive, unhinged jaw, full of rows of huge, pointed fangs, and a long, slithering tongue

"You don't think I'm a monster, Seto?" he questioned, his voice twice as deep, and distorted, as if put through a voice synthesizer

Seto wasn't even remotely phased

"No, I don't,"

There was a pause, silent, before Atem shifted back down into his human form

Having seen the difference in him back to back like this, he looked even more tiny, even more frail, hugging himself, his head down with shame

Seto wanted to hold him, to envelope him in something bigger, stronger, warmer, than his own arms could provide, but now wasn't the time

Soon, but not now

"Yugi is different," Atem concluded moments later, finally answering the other's second question

"He isn't.... _all_ human... and he has already withstood much of the damage I've dealt him,"

He paused, sighing quietly

"Besides, I .... have tried to dissuade my partner from being with me, he won't listen,"

"Gee, look at that, we have something in common," Seto mused dryly, crossing one leg over the other and his arms over his chest as he stared at the creature in front of him

"Atem, do you really think I would have poured my time and resources into making that body for you if you were just some monster? If I didn't think you were worth it?"

"It isn't about being _'worth'_ anything! I am not a possession, I am not a thing to be valued in any form, I am a MONSTER and YOU are a fool for wanting anything to do with me! One day, Seto, you will get hurt, and it will be my fault, and you will hate me, and Yugi will hate me, and _I_ will hate me,"

"The way I see it you already hate yourself, Yugi could never hate you, and neither could I,"

As if to prove him wrong, Atem shifted again, just his face this time, pouncing forward and roaring right in Seto's face, his breath hot and heavy on the scientist's skin, saliva dripping down onto his shoulder, teeth poised and ready to rip his head off

But Seto didn't flinch, and Atem didn't move

And then, after a long moment, he shifted back and Seto merely took a handkerchief out of his pocket to clean off the saliva

"Why aren't you afraid of me!? After what I did-!"

"So you ate some people, you're a symbiote, it's not your fault, they were bad people weren't they? I think Yugi said you caught them trying to rape some poor girl?"

Atem's lip trembled, he looked nothing short of _agonized_ , but he didn't respond at first, merely looked down

"I am not supposed to eat people.... Yugi says it's bad, I don't want to be bad, I want to be _good_ , I want to be _good_ like he is... like you are..."

"Oh please, if you think any part of me is good then you clearly haven't met me, besides, has it ever occurred to you that there are different _kinds_ of good?"

"No, there is one kind, and I am not it,"

This time, Seto really couldn't help but roll his eyes, standing up and walking closer, his fingers curling under Atem's chin, forcing him to look up at him

"Spiderman is the kind of good you want to be, but would you say that Wolverine is bad, just because he isn't like Spiderman? Or Black Widow? Or Deadpool? Are any of them good or are they bad?"

"They're good but-"

"But nothing, they're killers, just like you are, but they kill bad people and that makes them good,"

"They do not _eat_ them Seto!! They do not take PLEASURE in killing-!"

"Have you MET Deadpool? I know you have,"

"He does not-!"

"Eat them, I know, I get that, no instead he just chops their heads off and hangs them around town like trophies wile making lewd sexual comments about them, you're right, that's so much better,"

Atem inhaled deeply, shook out of Seto's grasp, and turned his back to him

"It doesn't matter.... it does not matter.... I am still a monster, I will always be a monster, no matter what you do, no matter how good I may or may not become, I will always be a monster, and you will always be a human, someday that will cause me to hurt you, I don't want that.... _please_.... I don't want it.... you need to leave, leave me, before I hurt you..."

Finally, Seto had had enough, his eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched, as he gently but forcefully grabbed Atem by the arm and started to tug

"Come with me,"

"W-What? Where are-"

"I heard your nonsense speech, now it's only fair that you let me have my turn, Yugi taught you about taking turns right?"

"Yes, I am not a child," Atem huffed back

"You sure about that? I seem to remember you eating a chocolate bar last week with the wrapper still on,"

"That- ... that was.... different!!" he squeaked, his face turning red

Good, good..... he was coming back to himself, if only a little bit

And a little was all that Seto needed

"Doesn't matter, you had your turn, now I'm taking mine, got a problem with that?"

Slowly, Atem shook his head, and that was all Seto needed before dragging him out of the house

 

~+~

 

"I wish to know where we're going,"

"I told you, you'll find out soon enough,"

Atem seemed displeased with that, sinking further down in his seat and wrinkling his nose, but Seto didn't care, he was just going to have to live with it

"Whatever it is you want to show me Seto, it isn't going to change anything,"

"You know, for someone who's been in Yugi's body for the last year, fishing around in his memories of me, and spending more than enough time with me yourself, you don't know me very well,"

Atem only huffed- it was _cute_

Finally though, Seto parked the car, causing Atem to practically leap up to look out the window

"We are..... at a warehouse?"

"Good to know your eyes are working," Seto mused blandly, turning off the engine and sliding out of the car before stepping over to the passenger's side and opening the door for Atem

Slowly, the symbiote slid out, looking around anxiously before somewhat reluctantly allowing Seto to take his hand and lead him towards the warehouse

"Is this your's?"

"Yes,"

"Yugi and I have never seen it before,"

"I know,"

"Is it a secret?"

"Yes,"

".. Are we keeping it a secret from Yugi?"

Seto hesitated to answer, pausing in front of the warehouse door, refusing to look down at the little alien as he finally reached for the keypad

"Just for now, I'll tell him when I'm ready,"

"I do not like keeping secrets from Yugi, I love Yugi, we do not keep secrets from loved ones, it's bad,"

"Yugi doesn't tell people that he's Spiderman, now does he? He keeps that secret from everyone to protect them, he kept that secret from _me_ for two years, and we loved eachother long before you came about, so he kept plenty of secrets from me,"

Atem seemed to be rolling that around in his head, but Seto had the sneaking suspicion that once he showed this to him, Yugi would be finding out about it soon enough

He hoped it had the intended effects, that it didn't cause..... _problems_....

Finally, he finished punching in the code, and the door slid open, allowing them to step inside and turn on the light

"You said that eating bad people makes you a monster, that killing bad people for pleasure is a bad thing, and _that's_ what makes you a monster?" he noted, allowing Atem a moment to look around

To look around at the dozens of strange machines and devices, _torture_ devices, killing machines, the scent of blood, no matter how many times he had cleaned, was surely detectable by the symbiote, he could certainly figure out exactly what this was

Seto's own little torture lab

His way of stopping bad people

He didn't have a suit or superpowers like his boyfreinds did, he wasn't superhuman- not yet, anyway- but that didn't mean he was going to sit ideally by and let his lovers deal with villains and bad guys and evil people all on their own

Yugi was against killing, if it could be helped, and he had trained Atem to be the same way, so who was going to kill the enemies that needed to be killed and had no hope of being reformed?

Who would defeat the villains that planned to hurt his beloved boyfreinds?

Seto would, he didn't care about the blood on his hands, he would gladly stain his own conscious if it meant saving the lives of the people he loved

"You claim you can't be with me any longer because you're afraid of me getting hurt, because you're a monster," he added a second later, watching the look of understanding begin to fall across Atem's face as the smaller man slowly looked up at the colder expression against Seto's features

"Well as it turns out, I'm a monster too,"


End file.
